Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, July 11, 2000

2000-07-11 04:00:00 PDT San Francisco -- Two San Francisco supervisors moved yesterday to restrict the proliferation of billboard ads, calling both the moving and stationary variety an "aesthetic eyesore" to the city.

Supervisor Leslie Katz introduced legislation to ban certain kinds of commercial-carrying vehicles, while Supervisor Mark Leno called for a $5,000-a-day fine against anyone who puts up a billboard without getting the proper permits.

Leno said he was prompted to act after his staff found 50 signs that were either illegally posted or failed to meet height and size restrictions.

"My suggestion is that we fine companies who are putting up signs illegally and the building owners who are receiving signs without permits," Leno said. "At $5,000 a day, those dollars would be put into a fund to make sure we can enforce this in the future."

Katz said her measure is aimed squarely at trucks and cars that have no other purpose than to carry around a company's commercial all day.

"The legislation's principal purpose is to prevent aesthetic blight and visual clutter and to avoid traffic and safety hazards," Katz said.

Katz, however, said her legislation would not prevent people from turning their own cars into moving ads.

"If the vehicle is used to carry passengers, (the proposed ban) is not applicable," Katz said. The targets, she said, are "those things that drag those massive billboards around. It's not just ugly. They are a safety hazard because they are distracting."

That came as good news to Daniel Shifrin, president and founder of Autowraps.com, whose company hires people to drive around in cars covered with advertising.

"We have drivers who are able to quit their second jobs in the evening and spend more time with their children because they get paid $400 a month to drive around with the ads," Shifrin said.

Katz took no position on the growing trend of ad-wrapped cars, but she made it clear her legislation is not directed at them.

As drafted by the city attorney's office, Katz's measure would prohibit a person from exhibiting, posting or carrying any banner, placard, poster, card, picture, sign or ad display by means of a motor vehicle -- unless the vehicle is used primarily to transport goods or passengers.

Although the proposed ordinance seemed unclear about what constitutes a vehicle whose primary purpose is to transport goods or passengers, Katz said the law would not apply to a Municipal Railway bus or the family car being used to carry ads.

"The intent of these proposed changes is to clarify and strengthen the existing legislation," Katz said.